There seems to be some confusion as to the requirements of my latest premiere contest, Curtains. I stated that my example is not based on the three pictures featured on the contest page as I did not wish to influence the poets regarding the content of their mini closet dramas.
[Edit 26/5/2024] Please read the introduction to my contest, headed What to submit?, before jumpping to conclusions. The repurposed curtains are the common denominator in these movie/skit scenes. Further down the contest page, I elaborated that if you have not seen the movies, you may envisage your own scenario for the characters depicted. Thank you.
An AI-generated example (below) to illustrate the conventional closet drama would have different characteristics to my contest requirements, highlighted by my example, Curtains. The main difference being that I explicitly dispensed with the various scenes, as well as the lengthy character descriptions accompanying the lines of dialogue, relying chiefly on the dialogue component – more talk, less fluff. What they do have in common is the very succinct description of the setting.
Curtains (poetrysoup.com)
As stated in the premiere contest description:
- Closet dramas are plays written in verse form. [I DON’T want prose/regular dialogue. It may be rhymed as per my example, albeit in irregular rhymed lines: abab; couplets, and a single unrhymed line. Rhyme is NOT a set requirement.]
- It relies on dialogue and not descriptions of scenes.
- You may envisage your own scenario for these characters depicted [on the contest page). [You may think outside the box, but it must adhere to the spirit of the mini closet drama, ie your play being featured at a closed reading to a select audience.]
- Concentrate on the dialogue between the 2 to move this single scene forward. This is where show, don’t tell comes into play.
- The description of the setting and the characters are BRIEF! [It is succinct and not a detailed description – the essence of the piece featured must be made clear via the actual dialogue.]
TO RECAP
(This and nothing else but the actual closet drama, and using these headings, in the Poem Textbox).
Setting:
Characters:
1.
2.
Dialogue:
Not a monologue. See my example, Curtains.
Epilogue: (optional)
Last, but not least, please do NOT add additional details in the Poem Textbox (the body of the work), for example, repeating the title ‘Curtains’, the contest form (closet drama), or the name of the sponsor, or other background information. These may be posted in the NOTES section if you are a Premier Member.
***
Banana Peel: A Dramatic Comedy
Act I: The Kitchen Conundrum
Scene 1: The Fruit Bowl
Setting: A cozy kitchen. A fruit bowl sits atop the counter, brimming with colorful produce.
Characters:
- Lady Banana (LB): A ripe, eloquent banana.
- Mr. Apple (MA): A slightly bruised apple with a penchant for puns.
Dialogue:
LB: (leaning toward MA) Ah, Mr. Apple, do you ever feel trapped in this fruit bowl? Our existence is but a fleeting moment before we meet our fate—either devoured or forgotten.
MA: (wistfully) Indeed, Lady Banana. We’re like actors waiting in the wings, yearning for our moment in the spotlight.
Scene 2: The Slippery Revelation
Setting: The kitchen floor. A banana peel lies discarded.
Characters:
- Sir Banana Peel (SBP): The fallen hero.
- Chef Carrot (CC): A pragmatic carrot with a culinary flair.
Dialogue:
SBP: (dramatically) Alas, I have slipped from grace! My destiny was to be peeled and savored, not to languish here, forsaken.
CC: (rolling eyes) Spare me the theatrics, Sir Banana Peel. You’re a cliché—a tragicomic trope. But fear not, for I shall incorporate you into my carrot cake. Your slip-up won’t be in vain.
Act II: The Great Escape
Scene 1: The Window Ledge
Setting: Outside the kitchen window. SBP balances precariously on the ledge.
Characters:
- SBP: Determined and slightly squishy.
- Lady Butterfly (LBf): A delicate insect with a penchant for poetic flight.
Dialogue:
SBP: (addressing LBf) Fair butterfly, lend me your wings! I shall flutter to freedom, leaving behind this mundane existence.
LBf: (fluttering gracefully) Alas, dear peel, your escape is futile. Embrace your destiny—a compost heap awaits.
Act III: The Final Curtain
Scene 1: The Compost Bin
Setting: A dark, earthy chamber. SBP lies among discarded scraps.
Characters:
- SBP: Fading but philosophical.
- Wise Worm (WW): A sagacious earthworm.
Dialogue:
WW: (wrinkling brow) Sir Banana Peel, your musings echo through the soil. Fear not oblivion; you nourish life anew. Your decay births future sprouts.
SBP: (whispering) Farewell, world. May my legacy be more than a slippery punchline.
And so concludes our humorous closet drama, where bananas ponder existence, apples crack jokes, and carrot cakes rise to glory. Remember, dear reader, that even in the quiet corners of our minds, the drama unfolds—ripe with wit and hidden meanings.
Produced by Microsoft Bing AI 30 April 2024.
Happy quills!
Suzette